Electrical stimulation of various biological systems is known in the prior art. For example, pain alleviation through nerve stimulation or motor control through nerve or muscle stimulation have been successfully demonstrated.
One of the uses for neuromuscular stimulator systems is to provide muscle stimulation to assist partially disabled stroke victims in raising the toe to the affected leg during that portion of the walking motion where the foot and heel are off the ground. Systems for accomplishing such stimulation under the control of a heel switch are shown, for example, in Offner et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,792.
An implantable system to correct for foot drop is discussed in "Developing Clinical Devices for Hemiplegic Stroke Patients (Revised)" by Edward Schuck, Harry Friedman and others in a paper originally presented at the Fourth International Symposium on External Control of Human Extremities, Aug. 28-Sept. 2, 1972, at Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia.
The improved neuromuscular stimulator of the present invention provides a stimulator with dual channel capabilities for simultaneous neuromuscular stimulation at two sites to provide a more comprehensive treatment device to reduce the amount of time needed to administer a stimulation treatment program. The variable on/off cycling capability allows the user to select stimulation parameters effective for exercising muscles to prevent disuse atrophy while minimizing muscle fatigue. The optional control of the device through a remote switch connected to an "accessory" jack allows for more flexible application of the stimulator to treatment of varying conditions.